Soldering iron



March 30, 1948.

F. E. wALTERs 2,438,525

SOLDERING IRON Filed Aug. 17, 1944 2 Sheets-Sheet l J/ 2 /0 f Z.

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d/wey l?. M5815 March 30, 1948. F. E. WALTRS SOLDERING IRON Filed Aug. 17, 1944 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 I 11 velt lor gam Patented Mar. 3 0, 1948 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE SOLDERING IRON Frederick Edward Walters, Chicago, lll.

Application August 17, 1944, Serial No. 549,931

1 Claim. 1

My invention relates to improvements in soldering irons, and more particularly to means for feeding solder thereto in wire or strip form.

The primary object of my invention is to provide means for feeding such solder through an electrically heated soldering iron in a manner such that both hands, or at least one hand, may be left free for holding work, or other purposes, and which is of simple form, inexpensive construction, substantially fool-prooi, and constitutes a labor and time saving device whereby soldering is materially expedited and simplified.

Other and subordinate objects are also comprehended by my invention, all of which, together with the precise nature of my improvements, will be readily understood when the succeeding description and claim are read with reference to the drawings accompanying and forming part of this specification.

In said drawings:

Figure 1 is a view in side elevation of my invention, in a preferred embodiment thereof,

Figure 2 is a view in side elevation of the soldering iron and appurtenant parts, drawn to an enlarged scale,

Figure 3 is a view in longitudinal section taken through the handle of the soldering iron and the solder feeding unit, drawn to a further enlarged scale,

Figure 4 is a view in plan of the solder feeding unit detached,

Figure 5 is a view of the same in side elevation,

Figure 6 is a View of the same in rear end elevation,

Figure 7 is a View in side elevation of the treadle means for operating the carriage.

Referring to the drawings by numerals, according to my invention, as illustrated, the generally cylindrical handle I of an electric soldering iron, designated 2 as a unit, is provided with a top chamber 3 therein of elongated form and open at the rear end of the handle I. The chamber 3 is adapted to be closed by a relatively shorter cap plate 4 forming part of the handle I, and which, together with said chamber 3, provides a longitudinal top slot 5 in said handle I adjacent the front end thereof, and for a purpose presently seen. A screw 6 holds the cap plate 4 in place in a manner presently made clear. Below the chamber 3, a longitudinal bore 'I is provided in the handle I for the extension of the usual electric cord I therethrough. The cord I is connected to the usual electrical heating medium in the shank 8 of the soldering iron I for 2 heating the tip 9 of said shank. The electric heating medium and connection of the cord 1' thereto form no part, per se, of my invention, and, therefore, it has not been deemed essential to a clear understanding of the invention to illustrate said medium and connection.

A tubular nozzle I0 adapted for feeding wire solder II therethrough extends out of the front en'd of the chamber 3 and alongside the shank 8. The nozzle I0 is suitably curved to direct solder fed therethrough from its front end across the tip 9.

Preferably, in the practice of my invention, the soldering iron 2 is mounted on a work table I2 in forwardly and downwardly inclining position, and by means of a standard I3 comprising a tubular column I4 having a base ange I5 to be suitably secured to said table, and a rod section I6 slidably and rotatably adjustable in the column I4 to vary the height of the standard and adjust the soldering iron I into diiferent angular positions. The rod section I6 is equipped with a suitable yoke Il for clamping around the shank 8 to hold the soldering iron in the described inclined position. A setscrew I8 in the column I4 provides for holding the rod section I6 stationary. The solder Il is preferably taken from a reel I3, in wire form, which is suitably fixed to a Wall or ceiling, and the electric cord I is designed to be plugged in, as indicated at 20, to an electrical outlet, as at 2|.

A solder feeding unit is provided in the chamber 3 comprising a base bar 22 extending along the bottom of said chamber and upon which is secured by screws, as at 23, a relatively narrower, longitudinally extending guide bar 24 of rectangular cross section. The guide bar 24 embodies a longitudinal guide slot 25 intermediate the front and rear ends thereof, a pair of front and rear end, axial, socket-forming bores 26, 2l, and a pair of front and rear, axial counter bores 28, 29. The front bore 26 forms a socket for the rear end of the tubular nozzle I0 which is fixed therein as by a set screw 30. The rear bore 2l' forms a socket for a solder guide tube 3| of flexible form and which is fixed in said socket by a set screw 32. The guide tube 3| and the counter bores 28, 29 form guides through which the solder II is extended through the guide bar 24 and the slot 25, to the nozzle I0 to be fed forwardly through the nozzle in a. manner presently apparent.

A solder feeding carriage 33 of U shape in cross section is slidably fitted in the slot 25 for advance and retraction in said slot and on the bar of the solder Il, and permits said dog 33 to drag Y loosely over the solder l I when the carriage 33,is

retracted. A pair of coil springs 33, upon oppio'-`V 4 tracts the push rod 5l which returns the treadle 41 to normal position.

In addition to the foregoing, my invention comprehends means for advancing the carriage 33 by thumb pressure comprising a bifurcated thumb lever 63 straddling the outer end of a bifurcated post 33 rising from the base bar 22 out of the slot 5 and straddling the guide bar 24, said lever being pivoted, as at '35, to said post l'for rocking movement under thumb pressure and in opposite directions, respectively. A pair of links 63 operatively connect the thumb lever 63 to the beforemen- ,tioned fcarriage 33, said links being disposed upon opposite sides of the guide bar 23 and having front 35, yieldingly restrains the carriage 33 against the rear end of the slot 25 and against advance movement. Y Y

A Iresilientfclip El .of l.thesplit ring type, suitably arxedto the front end of the basebar 22 and fricticnally engaging `the sides `and bottom ofthe chamber 3 centers the described solder feeding unit, at its frontend,.inzsaidchamben A similar, but annular, member 32 ysuitably secured to the rear end of said bar `22 centerssaid `solder feeting unit, at-its .rear end, in the vchamber Screws, `as at 43, .extended through the sides of the handle l intosaid memberJiZ secure said unit in place. VThe member 42 is provided with an edge lug @d vthrough which the previously described screw 6 extends .to fanchorrthe cap =plate in place.

Treadle means is provided for advancing the carriage ,33 Vby foot pressure. As lbest shown in Figure 7, the treadlemeanscomprises a block d5 adapted tobedisposed onthefiloorand having rising therefrom `intermediate fthe ends thereof a suitable support 113V :for .a -foot treadle 3l pivoted intermediate its ends, .asat 48, :to the support d6. The working end of the :treadle l? is suitably Vextended into an -upstanding bracket i3 on one end of the block 45 for :lifting vaction against a :ball bearing V5i) -mounted'ona push `rod 5I slidable in a tubular -guide 52`rising from said bracket `53 with its lower `4end clamped in said ,bracket -by ws A coil `spring llfcircumnosed on the red ai 55 on the lower fend of. said rod Vopposes operation Vof said rod vby said tread-le A?. A `ilexilole wire 'tubeei -issecured at-oneend, .bysetiscrews 56, in the upperend of the` tubular guide '52 and has its other yend extended through l.the open` yrear end i of the handle I and'xed-by-afset screw 57i in an apertured boss '58 upstanding from the Arear end. of -the guide bar 24. Aflexible wire 59 is suitably connected -to the upper end of .the push -rod 5i,

Ybetween the tubular .guidefZ and sa nut ist extended through :said flexible `tube and the aperturediear 58 andhas itsopposite end fixed by set screw -Sii fin `the rear 'end 3i of a yoke-like slide straddling the carriage 3:3 and riding-on the upper-face-of -th'e guide bar :24. The beforementicned pin 35 extends through the .described lslide 8B wire 53 'in the proper direction ,to push the guide .3i forwardly and `thereby advance the carriage 33 to feed the solder Il in the manner already described. Uponl release of the-foot treadle liti, .the springs '.39 retractV the carriage 33 idly with respect to the solider Yl-I, -and the spring 54 re- .ends pivoted to said lever 33, as at 3l, and the rear ends pivotally mounted on the beforementioned pin ddatopposite sides of the slide 6|.

To advance the carriage 33 by thumb pressure, it is merely necessary to exert such pressure against the lever S3 to swing vthe same clockwise, as viewed `inligure 3, said lever when swung in said direction exerting pull vupon the links S3 to advance the carriage 33 in opposition to the springs A33, primarily, andthereby feed the solder il ina manner already described. When the thumb lever v[i3 is used, vthe described treadle means is disconnected by removing the set screws 5l', di) and detachingthe flexible vtube 55 from the ear A58 and the flexible wire y59 from the rear end Si Yof the described yoke-like slide. Obviously, the soldering iron 2 may be detachedfrorn Ithe standard .i3 for use in .the usual manner when .manipula-ting the same.

The foregoing will, it is believed, sufce .to vimpart a clear understanding of my Vinvention Without further explanation.

Manifestly, the invention, `as described, is susceptible of modification without departing from the inventive concept, and right is herein reserved to such modifications as fall within the scope of the appended claim.

What I `claim is:

.1n a solderingiron, .a hollow elongated handle adapted for the passage of wire solder therethrough and forming a chamber extending longitudinallyin the same, alongitudinally extending guide bar in said chamber having Aa longitudinal slot therein intermediate the ends thereof and an axial bore .through which vthe wire solder is adapted to be fed and passed through said-slot, a U-shaped solder .feeding carriage slidably Fitted in the slot of said guide bar for advance andretraction therein along saidfguide bar, and through which said wire solder is adapted to slidably extend, coacting devices in said carriage for yieldingly clamping the wire `solder 'to the carriage during advanceof said carriage,` and manipulative means for advancing the `carriage comprising a yoke straddling `the same `and slidable on said guide bar.

FREDERICK EDWARD WALTERS.

"REFERENCES CITED The following references are of vrecord in the le of .this patent:

Number IName Date 2,119,462 Kuli et al May 31, 1935 1,540,859 Plcque June `9, 1925 2,280,879 Anderson Apr. 28, 1942 1,268,877 Orme June 11,1913 1,951,545 Carson, Jr Mar. 2f), '1934 2,125,781 Harris Aug. A2, 1938 

